X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Break The Slate: NFL DFS DraftKings Lineup Picks - Week 5

The top daily fantasy football lineup picks for DraftKings in Week 5 of 2019. Joe Nicely's NFL DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

Hello again RotoBallers and NFL DFS fans! Thanks for joining me here at Break The Slate, a weekly article in which we try to pinpoint the best DraftKings plays available on the main slate. Unfortunately, Week 4 didn't exactly go as planned and was just one of those strange weeks that we see a couple of times a year in the NFL.

These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected ownership, overall upside/talent levels, opportunity, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available, so read on to find out which players are the best for Week 5.

Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups, lets Break The Slate together!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks - Week 5 Picks

Jameis Winston - TB @ NO ($6,200)

All the preseason love that was going Jameis Winston's way seemed ridiculous after a disastrous opening week performance against the 49ers, but maybe we were right all along. The Tampa QB has certainly picked up the pace in his last two starts, throwing for a combined 765 yards and seven TDs against the Giants and Rams. The matchup is a bit tougher this week, as he heads to New Orleans for a divisional road game, but the Saints - despite shutting down Dak Prescott last Sunday night - aren't a matchup to fear, as they've allowed the third-most DraftKings points in the NFL to opposing QBs. Fantasy players were excited about what Winston might do under the tutelage of new Bucs HC Bruce Arians and things finally appear to be clicking. Winston has thrown for over 1,100 yards and is tied for the second-most TD passes in the NFL at nine - all this despite a sluggish start to the season. I look for things to continue rolling against the Saints this week.

Matt Ryan - ATL @ HOU ($5,900)

I grew up loving college football, so I don't really have a lifelong allegiance to an NFL team, but the Falcons have definitely been my 'favorite' NFL team for my adult life. Personal biases aside, I will continue to die on the "Matt Ryan is the most overlooked and undervalued DFS QB in the NFL" hill. This will probably be the case again this week, as I expect most of the DFS attention in this matchup to be on the other QB in this game - Deshaun Watson. Despite Atlanta's struggles as a team, Ryan is off to a blistering start in 2019, averaging 23.7 DK points per game. He's thrown for over 300 yards in every game this season and leads the NFL with 176 pass attempts. He draws a matchup against a Texans unit that has relinquished over 1,100 yards and 90 DK points to opposing QBs this year, in a game in which Houston should have no trouble shutting down Atlanta's non-existent run game and carries definite shootout potential.

 

DraftKings DFS Running Backs - Week 5 Picks

Dalvin Cook - MIN @ NYG ($8,400)

You won't find many surprises in this article at the RB position this week. I like grabbing as much floor as possible at running back, and there are several quality backs in great spots this week, so barring any breaking injury news I'll be leaning in a pretty vanilla direction at RB.

Let's kick things off with one of the most impressive running backs of the season, Minnesota's Dalvin Cook. We've always known the talent was there with Cook, but the biggest obstacle in his injury-plagued career has been staying on the field. He's been healthy this year and this run-first Vikings offense is taking full advantage of his ability. Cook sits one yard behind Christian McCaffrey for the most rushing yards in the NFL at 410. He's ran for over 100 yards in three of Minny's four games. This week's matchup against the New York Giants isn't as amazing as it appears at first glance (New York ranks middle of the pack in yards and DK points allowed to opposing RBs), but it is certainly a very strong spot for Cook.

Ezekiel Elliott - GB @ DAL ($8,300)

For all the pearl clutching that his holdout caused, the whole Ezekiel Elliott contract thing turned out to be nothing major. Zeke has played and been low-key solid, going for over 100 yards rushing in two of the Cowboys four games. He was practically shut down on the ground in a defensive struggle against New Orleans last Sunday night, but salvaged his numbers with a TD on the ground and six catches on seven targets for 30 yards. That's the thing about Elliott...it'll seem as though he's having a very ho-hum game and next thing you know he has 18 DK points. Obviously we want more than that at this price, but the point is that his floor is so stable that it's hard for him to have a truly bad game. That said, I'm focusing more on Elliott's ceiling this week against a Packers Defense that has been routinely shredded on the ground and has allowed the third-most DK points in the NFL to opposing running backs.

David Johnson - ARI @ CIN ($7,500)

Even though he's up to $7.5k, David Johnson might just be the best value on the board at the RB position this week. Despite not breaking 100 yards rushing in a single game this season, DJ has still managed to be effective and average 18.5 DK points per game. He's doing most of his damage as a receiver out of the backfield and gets a smash spot against a Bengals Defense that has allowed 285 receiving yards to opposing running backs, the most in the NFL. Cincy is also dead last in the league in DK points allowed to the RB spot at 156.44. In this high-volume Arizona offense, DJ will have plenty of opportunities to gash the Bengals both through the air and on the ground in Week 5, and will see a little bit of an increase in usage due to Christian Kirk's absence. This spot is beautiful and makes Johnson my favorite RB play of the week.

 

DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers - Week 5 Picks

Julio Jones - ATL @ HOU ($7,700)

The best receiver in the league against a rookie cornerback probably won't equal a great outcome for the home team in this one. Julio Jones is once again having a superstar-caliber season for the Falcons. He's went over 100 yards in two of Atlanta's four games and will see lots of Houston's rookie CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. this week, who currently has a PFF grade of 32.5, the third-worst grade of cornerbacks in the NFL this season. As we touched on when discussing Matt Ryan earlier in this article, the Falcons are one of the most pass-happy teams in the NFL and should once again be forced to the air quickly in this one. Jones is averaging a shade over nine targets per game and I wouldn't be a surprised to see him get over double digits looks this week.

Michael Thomas - TB @ NO ($6,600)

I very rarely roster Michael Thomas, so it feels a little weird that I'm interested in him with Drew Brees out of the lineup, but I'm really intrigued by Thomas' reduced price tag. At $6.6k we're getting a player that is still the unquestioned alpha in the New Orleans receiving corps and seeing basically 1/3rd of the teams total targets. Bridgewater is certainly no Brees, but Thomas is usually his first look and he's received 16 targets in Teddy B's two full games as the starter. He squares off against a Bucs defense that is improved, but still very beatable in the pass game and has yielded the fourth-most DK points in the league to opposing WRs. Bridgewater no doubt hampers Thomas' chances of breaking the slate, but we should have no problem seeing a great return on our $6.6k investment.

Auden Tate - ARI @ CIN ($3,500)

With John Ross headed to IR, there's practically a big neon arrow pointing to Auden Tate that says: "Play Me", so the Bengals wideout will no doubt be a popular option here. However, like Seattle's Will Dissly last week, he's chalky because he's a very strong play. Value is tough to come by on this slate and Tate is in a great spot to offer salary relief when constructing Week 5 rosters. I continue to circle the Arizona Cardinals anytime they are on the slate due to the amount of plays they both run and allow each week. While Ross is now out of the Cincy passing attack, Tate had actually already been integrated into the Bengals scheme, as he received 10 targets while playing 88% of Cincy's offensive snaps in Week 3 and getting six targets and being on the field for over 91% of snaps last week. He should continue to be heavily involved against the Cards.

 

DraftKings DFS Tight Ends - Week 5 Picks

Tyler Eifert- ARI @ CIN ($3,300)

Eifert is simply a flowchart play this week. What's a flowchart play? It goes something like this...
#1. Does Tyler Eifert play tight end in the NFL? If yes, go to question #2.
#2. Is Tyler Eifert's team playing the Arizona Cardinals this week? If yes, roster him on DraftKings.

Dawson Knox - BUF @ TEN ($3,100)

If we're going to afford all these high-priced RBs in Week 5, we're gonna need to save salary somewhere. Buffalo's Dawson Knox is worth a look if you want to pivot from Tyler Eifert and are comfortable with a semi-punt at the TE position. His viability rests on a couple of injuries though...you'll want to keep an eye on Tyler Kroft's status, as well as Josh Allen's. If Kroft plays, Knox is totally off the board. If Allen sits, Knox becomes much riskier with Matt Barkley at QB. The rookie TE is athletic and has made some noise in Buffalo's last two games in which he's caught six passes for 125 yards and a TD. This Titans Defense is quickly showing themselves to be susceptible to the TE position, as they've allowed three TDs, 239 yards, and 65.90 DK points to opposing TEs this season.

 

DraftKings DFS Defenses - Week 5 Picks

New England Patriots - NE @ WAS ($4,300)

I've been riding this Patriots Defense this year and I see no reason (outside of salary considerations) to hop off now. The Pats have been wreaking havoc on opposing offenses this season and we can expect more of the same this week if Washington rolls out rookie QB Dwayne Haskins again or career backup Colt McCoy. I don't know if I'll be able to lock the Patriots in due to the lack of value on this slate, but I'll try my best to get up to New England as often as possible when constructing lineups.

Carolina Panthers - JAX @ CAR ($2.600)

This isn't a 'smash' spot at first glance, but I like the quality that we are getting with the Panthers at this price. The Carolina defense has stepped up in the absence of Cam Newton, allowing just 30 total points over their last two games, while creating four turnovers and racking up a massive 14 sacks. Gardner Minshew has played well since stepping into the starting role for Jacksonville, but he is still a rookie that's facing an improving defense on the road.

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF